Stefano Grondona Stefano Grondona was born in 1958. He studied in Genoa under Sergio Notaro and Oscar Ghiglia and received the Diploma of Merit from the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. He also participated in Master Classes held by Julian Bream and Andres Segovia. In 1975 he won the first prize at the Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco Competition in Parma and subsequently at the International Competition of Gargnano ( 1976) and Città di Alessandria in 1978. He went on to win again abroad at the Andres Segovia Competition in Palma de Mallorca in 1979 and Leed's Castle in 1981, M.M.Ponce in Mexico City and at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb in Munich in 1982. His career began in Italy 1974 and has since taken him through Europe including the Amsterdam Concertgebow, the Munich Cuvilies Theater, and in London, the Queen Elisabeth Hall. More recently, he has concertised in Africa, Israel, Mexico, and the United States. He has also been invited to give solo recitals at several outstanding musical events including Settembre Musica of Turin, Autunno Musicale of Naples, Orfeo Giovane of Brescia and at the international festivals of Tel Aviv, Milton Keynes, St. Albans, Esztergom, Ludwigsburg and Volos. His repertoire includes all of the Lute Works by J.S.Bach as well the guitar works of M.M.Ponce and H.W.Henze. Consequently, he has often been invited to participate in international celebrations of these composers. As an orchestral soloist, Mr. Grondona has performed with the Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese, The London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, the Vivaldi Concertante and the RAI Orchestras of Milan, Naples and Rome. RAI, the italian broadcasting service, invited him to give the fist absolute performance of Bettinelli's Concerto for Guitar, Vibraphone and Orchestra. Again in November 1985, segovia declared that Stefano Grondona, along with John Williams, Alirio Diaz and Oscar Ghiglia, were among the pupils he cherished the most.